A Treat in Time
In my last post, the importance of timing treats was discussed in the context of calling your dog to you. If you say Come, then show treats (or shake the bag), and THEN your dog comes, you may want to change the order: that is, keep the treat hidden until he actually comes to you.
That article describes how you can “shape” the recall. If that switch doesn’t make the recall work better, then try treats with more value for your dog (usually meaty ones). Remember, reinforcers come *after* behavior, and make it more likely in future.
Here are two more situations where good timing makes all the difference.
Picky Eater
Does your dog sniff at her meal and walk away? Or just sit there looking at you with a sad face? My Doodle Scout did both many, many times. But if that’s when you add something tempting to the meal, you are probably reinforcing the unwanted behavior of waiting!
Dogs do what works. Learn from my mistakes.
If you regularly add in wet food or healthy treats (like Spot Farms) or a special topper (like Magic Dust and others by Stella & Chewy and The Honest Kitchen) or grated Parmigiano (Scout’s No. 1 favorite), change your strategy by changing your timing. Add those extras either
— before you put the meal down, or
— as she approaches the meal, and/or
— after she has sniffed or begun eating.
Now you are reinforcing the right behavior instead of teaching her to wait for something better, as I did for way too long.
Pro Tips:
* Try a different dry food if your dog consistently rejects her meal. Yes, I did that more than a few times.
* Look into potential medical reasons for inappetence, especially if it comes on suddenly.
* Try putting the food into an enrichment toy such as a Kong, puzzle, or snuffle mat.
Stopping on Walks
Does your dog have a habit of stopping or sitting during walks? Is that when you pull out some food to get him restarted? Well, that works. But from your dog’s point of view, stopping pays off.
Dogs do what works.
The time to bring out the treats is when he is walking nicely, that is, on a loose leash and/or paying attention to you. Keep it up. This change in timing should pre-empt the Stop/Sit.
You could also make walking more fun and rewarding by playing the simple game of Find It. Just say that cue, then toss a treat ahead of your dog. Keep going. Again, don’t start this when your dog stops. Do it when he’s still moving forward.
Pro Tip:
Could it be pain or discomfort that’s causing your dog to take breaks while walking? Check that out with your vet in case some therapy or medication can bring relief and happier walks.
Copyright Lisa Benshoff 2021